Collaboration “executed precisely”

We have just finished working with Niteworks and UK MOD to update the Concept of Employment (CONEMP), an operating concept, for the future generation of a major collection of vehicle-based military systems (the “Future Rapid Effects System”). The Niteworks senior management reports: “The FRES CONEMP project has recently concluded with extremely positive feedback from across the MOD. It has led to a set of output documents which are intended to be released as part of an Invitation to Tender pack. This has executed the Niteworks model precisely – to work collaboratively across MOD and industry to improve materials prior to competition.”

The vehicles’ capabilities range from finding out what is happening in the battlespace using a variety of sensors, especially soldiers on the ground, to delivering firepower to counter threats, to supporting the combat elements with roles such as medical, logistics and engineering support.

What was special about our work was analysing how the vehicles and systems would operate in a confused, congested and cluttered operating space where the role of human decision-making is vital.

We created a common format for expressing the detail of each system, updated scenarios and used these to illustrate how the systems would work together as a whole to achieve the military task. We involved a range of industry experts and we used systems thinking, challenged assumptions, and brought rigour.

The client, MOD, now has a much better appreciation of the potential of these future capabilities, and our work will assist them in making more coherent procurement decisions.